BEYOND THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP: We've been keen on issues of digital access and equity -- the so-called digital divide -- for some time now. But we're bereft of answers when Dewitt Robinson asks:
"Why is it that often in more affluent communities access to advanced instructional aids is more readily available, while urban, inner-city schools lack the basics to help students?"
It's one of many "why's" that get glossed over in the national edtech conversation, especially when upcoming Common Core curriculum will require technology. It's refreshing to hear Robinson's admiration for Khan Academy, Coursera, and the merits of 1:1 computing, even when his students have "little to no options to get internet access for studying, research, and developing skills for postsecondary education." But the difficult questions he poses has us wondering if Common Core, BYOD, 1:1 computing and similar initiatives will ultimately cement the achievement gap they hope to correct.
